Learning to Fly
by Northwest Sage
Summary: In the aftermath of events which transpired during the original TF:The Movie, a small group of Autobots make a life-altering choice.


**Learning to Fly**

The small group of weary and heavy-hearted Autobots made their way throughout the war-torn remains of Autobot City. A great battle had engulfed their sanctuary a few days earlier, claiming the lives of many of their friends, and their beloved leader Optimus Prime. As the bodies of the fallen were being collected in order to have a proper ceremony, another battle waged on their planet of Cybertron. The dark god known as Unicron had targeted the planet for destruction; thanks to the power of the Matrix, his threat was turned away.

Although the Autobots had achieved a great victory and Decepticon activity was at a historic low, all parties involved realized the quiet sound of peace was only temporary. In the damaged remains they found themselves surrounded by, they saw a reminder of not only what had happened, but more of what was to come. And for this particular group of Autobots, they had seen enough.

Rodimus Prime, seated at the desk that up until a few days ago had belonged to Optimus Prime, caught a glimpse of the somber squard headed his way. "Enter", he called out as they stood outside his quarters. Rodimus hadn't had much time to remove Optimus' belongings from the area, so it made for quite an uncomfortable view. Seeing the being many blamed for their former leader's death sitting comfortably at his former desk, surrounded by objects closely identified with their lost hero lent itself to a silent resentment from his visitors. "What can I do for you?"

A being of average-height, at least as far as the Autobots were concerned, was the first to respond. "We need to talk,' Hound stated. Autobot twins Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood a single step behind the green scout. Red Alert, Inferno, Hoist, and Gears rounded out the ranks.

Rodimus knew that by the tone of voice being used, whatever had brought them here was serious. "Sure," he replied, "Let's talk."

"We've come to inform you that we're... we're leaving."

"Leaving?" Rodimus shot back. "All of you?"

"It's nothing personal, Rodimus," Hoist added. Gears folded his arms in front of his chest, apparently to him- it was personal. "It's just that, well..."

"We're done," Sunstreaker said bluntly. Recent activity had dulled his usual bright sheen.

Rodimus pushed off his desk and stood up. "Done? Done with what?"

"With this slaggin' war!" Sideswipe yelled emotionally.

"What he's trying to say," Hound interjected in a more rational cadence, "Is that we've decided to resign. Leave the Autobot ranks and form a settlement of our own. Far away from here... from Cybertron... from everything."

"**_All of you_**?" Rodimus repeated.

"This isn't our war," Inferno added. "Not anymore."

Rodimus could feel the sinceriety in the air, but losing a sizable portion of his senior officers wasn't something he was ready for. "I understand how you all feel," he said. "Optimus' death was a heavy blow to us all."

"Leave Prime outta this, _Hot Rod_!" Gears words were rich with venom. It was becoming evident the cranky engineer would likely never accept Rodimus as Commander, nor forgive him for the death of Optimus Prime. "You got plenty of new faces to boss around," he continued, "We're leaving."

Autobots resigning wasn't unheard of. Shortly after arriving on Earth for the first time, Hauler requested and received permission to leave. Not long after that, the respected veteran Trailbreaker received a heroes send-off, complete with an emotional Ironhide saying a heartfelt goodbye. And at the time construction of Autobot City began, Autobots Mirage and Beachcomber were allowed to leave with no restrictions. But this was a different situation.

This wasn't one or two Autobots leaving the ranks. This was a small group of seasoned veterans. Respected members of Autobot society with important roles and functions. Their departure would not go easily unnoticed. "Is there nothing I can say to change your minds?"

The group had thought long and hard about their decision. For some it had always been in the back of their minds; that one day they'd reach a certain point and simply walk away. "When you look at us what do you see?" Hound asked.

"I'm not sure I follow..."

"What do you see?" Hound repeated. Rodimus wasn't sure how to respond, so he remained silent. "Let me tell you what **I** see," Hound continued. "I see fragments of a whole that can never be complete. I see a reminder of what once was and can never be again." There was much sadness in the soft-spoken giant. He cast his optics towards the large window behind Rodimus, looking at all the new faces moving hurriedly from one place to another. They had a purpose to their lives and determination in their steps. "I see an echo of a moment in time that has come to an end." He stood silent, shoulders squared and feet planted firmly beneath him. As was customary in such situations, he removed the Autobot insignia from his body and laid it on the Rodimus' desk.

"Listen, I know it's been a tramutic period for you all, it's been rough on all of us," Rodimus stated. "But you're needed... here. All of you!" There was no change noticed in their posture. "This war is hell, but running away won't end it. It won't bring your friends back; it won't bring Optimus back."

"You smug, arrogant-" Gears was quickly restrained by Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.

"My point is that we're all victims of this war, " Rodimus pleaded, "But we've got to see it through!"

"And our point," Hound responded, looking deep into Rodimus Prime's optics, "Is that this isn't our war anymore."

Rodimus Prime reluctantly accepted that their minds were made up and nothing he could say or do would sway them to stay. He watched quietly as Gears, Hoist, Inferno, Red Alert, and the twins did the same with their insignias, shot one last sympathetic look at their replacment commander, and exited the room.

Ultra Magnus and Kup, two of Rodimus Prime's most trusted advisers, entered the room a few moments later. They could tell their friend was troubled by something. Never one to hold back, Kup asked what was wrong. "You okay, lad?"

There was a brief pause before Rodimus answered. "Yeah," he answered. "I'm just _prime_."

**The End.**


End file.
